Modular type display racks



June 13, 1961 J. B. PENDERGRAST, JR, 'E'IAL ,9

MODULAR TYPE DISPLAY RACKS INVENTORS JOHN B.PENDERGF?AST, JR. WAYNE F.BROWNINGJJ R.

w/ x. W

ATTORN Y J1me 1961 .1. B. PENDERGRAST, JR.. ErAL ,9

MODULAR TYPE DISPLAY RACKS Filed July 25, 1960 3 Shams-Sheet 2 INVENTORSWAVNE F. BROWNINGJJH.

JOHN B.PENDERGRAS1;JR-V

June 13, 1961 Filed July 25, 1960 J. B. PENDERGRAST, JR., ETAL MODULARTYPE DISPLAY RACKS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 JOHN BPENDER6RALJR WAYNE F.BROWNIN6,JR.

A ORNEV Patented June 13, 1961 hce 2,988,233 MODULAR TYPE DISPLAY RACKSJohn Brittain Pendergrast, In, Atlanta, and Wayne Ferris Browning, J12,Avondale Estates, Ga. (both of Box 1597, Atlanta 1, Ga.)

Filed July 25, 1960, Ser. No. 52,002 3 Claims. (Cl. 211-448) Thisinvention relates to a modular type display rack and especially to adisplay rack unit which is readily and easily assembled and disassembledand whereby identical units or units of differing lengths but identicalcross sections may be combined and attached together to increase thecapacity. I

It is often necessary in supermarkets and other stores and the like todisplay certain items of merchandise or to store in a readily accessiblemanner such things as cases and cartons of drink bottles. Sometimes thestorage racks or display devices must be moved from one spot in thesupermarket to another. Other times the display or storage rack isinsufficient in size and capacity to handle the accumulated items andthe anticipated increase, whereby it is necessary to quickly provideadditional space on the existing display or somehow to increase the sizethereof. Also, in present day merchandising, since attractiveness andappearance enters somewhat into the picture, it is important thatwhatever display or storage rack is provided, it should be of neat andattractive appearance with clean-cut lines without objectionable sharpcorners or protrusions or pieces which may injure customers. It is,therefore, no simple task to provide a display device which meets all oreven most of these requirements. Some prior art devices are veryditficult to assemble and disassemble or to move from place to place.Other prior art devices are very easy to assemble or disassemble butlack sufiicient structural rigidity or versatility to adequately supportthe merchandise placed thereon.

The present modular support rack is particularly advantageous in themanner of assembly and disassembly and the ease and simplicity ofmultiplying the number of such storage units by connecting them togetherend to end or side by side.

Generally described, the present modular rack is an open front and opentype of support rack with a bottom and back and light weight, optionaldividers or partitions along the length thereof in vertical alignment.The entire rack as a unit is assembled from a structural frame of lightweight, metal channels attached together by fastplaced, sheet metalscrews. Two vertically spaced back support members, with the openchannels facing each other, form the back vertical support structureattached together across the top thereof by an upper channel held inplace with sheet metal screws fastened into the top of the two verticalmembers; and two back-to-back channel members attached on opposite sidesof the bottom of the two vertical members form the bottom connectiontherebetween. Two identical side members attach on a respective side,each screwed to one of the respective vertical members, and these areconnected at the front thereof by means of a front horizontal channelmember having one end screwed to one end of a respective side member.This completes the entire structural frame for a modular rack unit. Aflat bottom of plywood or the like is placed over the rectangular orsquare frame formed by the two side members, the front member and theback member, and is screwed in place by screws which are infitting intothe side of the channel. Two or more back plywood members are fittedtogether along a common line substantially in the center thereof with adecorative strip joint and the top edge of the top plywood panel iscovered by a decorative metal strip. Optionally, open Wire end panels orseparators constructed from chrome plated wire in an open welded patternmay be attached by screws onto the top of the plywood bottom. Additionalunits are added simply by attaching the sides of one unit to the sidesof an identical unit in a modular fashion.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a modular type rackwith an open top and an open front which is easily and economicallyassembled and disassembled.

Another object of this invention resides in the particular use of sevenor eight structural channel members attached together in a particularfashion to form the entire structural skeleton of the modular unitwhereby a minimum of material is used and a minimum of assembly time isre quired.

An additional object of this invention. resides in the arrangementwhereby identical modular units of this invention may be attachedtogether side by side in an unlimited number to multiply the size of thedisplay rack accordingly.

Still another advantage of my invention resides in the simplicity ofconstruction whereby economical structural members may be used andrelatively inexpensive cover panels of plywood or similar material maybe used to provide a decorative facing of the device.

Other and further objects and advantages of my invention will beapparent from the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the disassembled structural units of theskeleton frame of the present rack in their respective assemblypositions.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the unit in FIG. 1 in assembled positionwith a bottom panel shown in dotted lines about to be placed inposition.

FIG. 3 is a broken cross-sectional view of a detail taken substantiallyalong the line 33 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a broken cross-sectional view of a detail taken substantiallyalong the line 4-4 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one completely assembled modular panelunit as assembled from the structural members shown in FIGS. 1 through4.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the unit shown in FIG. 5 withmerchandise stacked thereon and with a side partition optional wirepanel or separator placed thereon.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, the skeleton frame for the entire modularunit is composed of a plurality of light weight metal channels havingscrew holes pro-formed therein and being adapted for quick and easy andeconomical assembly and disassembly for shipping or for moving from onelocation to another in the same store. The skeleton frame designatedgenerally by the numeral 10 is composed of a plurality of channels whichstarting from the back of the unit to the bottom are identified as apair of U-shaped channels 12, 14 of identical size and construction,each being placed in a vertical position with the open channel thereoffacing each other. Each of the members 12, 14 has been pre-drilled withholes 16 therein at the top and along the front facing of the channelmember and at the bottom thereof to re ceive other structural members asshown hereinafter. Members 12, 14 are connected together at the top bymeans of a horizontal structural member 18 of channel construction withpre-drilled holes therein matching with holes 16 in the top of each ofthe respective channel members '12, 14. Member 18 is fastened in placeby four metallic screws 19. The bottoms of members 12, 14 are attachedtogether to support the members in substantially vertical condition by aspecial combined channel member 20, having a bottom channel 22 thereofplaced in position about the bottom of each of the members 12, 14andfastened in place by four screws 24 inserted from the front into thefront web of each of the channel members 12, 14. Welded to channel '22is a top flanged, cross-strip 25 fitting and extending upwardly betweenmembers 12, f4. Channel 22 has a top flange 23 thereon. Members 22, 25preferably are welded or otherwise attached together prior to packagingand shipment of the unit. The rectangular, or square if preferred,bottom frame of the device is assembled through the use of two sidemembers 26, 28 of substantially identical construction placed in opposedrelationship with the open channel thereof facing one another about therespective upper members 12, 14. One portion of each of the members 26,23 at position 30, 32 thereof is discontinuous so that the members 26,28 will overlap and fit flush against the bottom of a respective member12, 14. Bolts and nuts 34 are screwed in place through the respectivemembers 26, 2 8 into a respective member 12, 14. The bottom frame iscomplete upon the addition of the front piece 36 of similar channelconstruction with the channel placed inwardly facing the back of theframe and being attached in place by means of sheet metal screws 38screwed through the web of member 36 into the ends 39, 40 of respectiveside members 26, 28.

Assembly In the assembly of the frame of the display rack, which maytake place adjacent the aisle of a store, the two members 12, 14 arepositioned vertically and the special bottom cross-member 22 ispositioned in place and fastened by the screws. Then the three outsideperimeter bottom members 26, 28 and 36 are laid end-to-end in theirrectangular pattern and fastened together at respective abutments bymeans of the respective screws 24, 34 and 38. The frame is now assembledin the manner shown in FIG. 2 ready to receive thereon the bottom panelmember 42 shown in dotted lines in elevated position about to be laid ontop of the frame. The bottom member 42 is a pre-cut, sized,.flat sheetof plywood, Masonite or other similar sheet of material having the edgesthereof preferably bound by a decorative strip 43 of edging material,metal material or other suitable decorative material to cover the rawedge. Sheet 42 is laid against the flange 23 of channel 22 and alsoagainst the top edges of the respective channels 26, 36 and 28 and maybe fastened in place thereon by small sheet metal screws, the heads ofwhich may be counter-sunk in the top of the sheet 42 to hide them fromsight. Member 25 is the back edge of the bottom frame against whichbottom 42 fits.

In the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3, it is readily seen that the frontend of member 26 abuts and connects to the one end of member 36 and isheld in place by screws 38 thereon in a rigid manner. Similarly, it isshown in FIG. 4 that the top end of member 12 connects to and fastensinside the end of top member -18 and is held in place thereon by thescrews 15 Following the assembly of the bottom sheet 42 on the bottomframe, the entire decorative rack assembly is completed through theaddition of a pair of vertical back cover panels 46, 48 of flat panelconstruction of plywood, Masonite or other suitable sheet material,preferably matching with the bottom sheet 42, and each having adecorative edging 50, 52 thereon to decoratively cover the raw edgesthereof and being sealed at the joint between the two members 46, 48along the common, abutting line by a connecting strip 54 which may be ofchrome metal, stainless steel, plastic or other suitable decorativematerial. The top of the vertical section is covered preferably by adecorative metal strip or the like 56 which is fastened in place by oneof the contemporary, very satisfactory mastics or glues or which may beattached in place by-small sheet metal screws.

In FIG. 6, there is shown another completely assembled, identical rack60 having merchandise 62 stacked thereon and being provided with one ofthe optional and additional decorative, transverse wire separators 64constructed by suitable wire bending and welding of chrome metal wirebent to form an outside perimeter frame 66 having cross-connecting wires68 thereon and vertical decorative wires 76 forming some sort ofattractive pattern therewith. The bottom 7 4 and side 76 of frame 66,7t), 72 are of elongated tubular construction and are provided,respectively, with screw openings in which screws are inserted andscrewed to the respective panels 42, 46 and 48.

If desired, the rack shown in FIG. 5 and the rack 60 shown in FIG. 6 areeasily combinable as multiple units to extend the size of themerchandise display by abutting them along the side members 26 thereofplacing the vertical members 12 of the FIG. 5 device and 14 of the FIG.6 device in vertical abutting alignment whereby screws may be fastenedthrough the abutting members 26, '28 which are co-extensive and abuttingvertical mem bers 12, 14 lock the two sections firmly together. Ifdesired, a decorative metal strip, such as a T-joint metal connector(not shown), may be inserted in the space or gap defined between the twosections in order to cover the open space therebetween. The metalpartitions or dividers 64 may be employed wherever desired to break thecontinuity of the devices to define certain size areas, or to lendwhatever styling or arrangement is desired.

The display racks of this invention may be assembled or built onlocation in the store or supermarket or any other place from the backtoward the aisle.

While I have shown and described a particular embodiment of my displaydevice, together with a suggested manner of combining units thereof tomultiply the overall device, this is by way of illustration only and isnot to be construed as any sort of limitation on the scope of myinvention, since various changes, alterations, substitutions,eliminations, modifications, and variations may be made in theembodiments shown without departing from the scope of the inventionshown and defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a decorative display device, a pair of vertical, open, channelmembers positionable vertically in spaced, opposed relation with eachother to define an open, vertical back frame, with inwardly turnedchannel edges and tops, a top connecting member attachable across thetop of said vertical members against the top in-turned edge to fastensaid members together, a pair of screws attaching said top member toeach of said top edges of said vertical frame members, a bottomcross-member attachable on each of said vertical members at one endthereof and being fastened in place by a pair of screws on each endthereof, said cross-member being in front of said back members, a pairof spaced, opposed and identical horizontal bottom channel memberspositioned each with one end thereof at a bottom end of a respectivevertical back member and each having an in-turned top and bottom edge, aportion of the top in-turned edge of each member being removed toaccommodate the lower end of a respective vertical back member, a pairof screws attaching each of said bottom horizontal members to saidvertical members, a top cross-strip attached on the top of said bottomcross-member, a front connection member having one end thereof attachedto a respective horizontal member forming a bottom frame therewith, aflat sheet of material positionable over said bottom frame andattachable in place thereon adjacent said top crossstrip, at least oneflat back panel constructed from a fiat sheet of material placed overthe fronts of both of said vertical members to hide same, and extendingto and adjacent to said bottom panel to form a closed back and bottomtherewith.

2. The device in claim 1 including a transverse partition memberpositionable on said bottom and having one side thereof closely adjacentto said back panel, said partition member being constructed from wire inthe form of an open wire frame.

3. In a decorative display device, a pair of vertical open, channelmembers positionable vertically in spaced, opposed relation with eachother to define an open, vertical back frame with inwardly turnedchannel edges and top, a top connecting member attachable across the topof said vertical members against the top in-turned edge to fasten saidmembers together, a pair of screw members attaching said top member toeach of said top edges'of said vertical frame members, a bottomcross-member attachable on each of said vertical members at one endthereof and being fastened in place by a pair of screws on each endthereon, said cross-member being in front of said back members, a pairof spaced, opposed and identical horizontal bottom channel memberspositioned each with one end thereof at a bottom end of a respectivevertical back member and each having an in-turned top and bottom edge, aportion of the top in-turned edge of each member being removed toaccommodate the lower end of a respective vertical back member, a pairof screws attaching each of said bottom horizontal membars to saidvertical members, a top cross-strip attached on the top of said bottomcross-member, a front connection member having one end thereof attachedto a respective horizontal member forming a bottom frame therewith, afiat sheet of material positionable over said bottom frame andattachable in place thereon adjacent said top cross-strip, at least oneflat back panel constructed from a fiat sheet of material placed overthe fronts of both of said vertical members to hide same, and extendingto and adjacent to said bottom panel to form a closed back and bottomtherewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,666,401 Sussman Apr. 17, 1928 2,643,170 Vanderveld June 23, 19532,644,591 McMahan July 7, 1953 2,661,993 Little Dec. 8, 1953 2,787,382Williams Apr. 2, 1957 2,872,049 Slater Feb. 3, 1959 2,933,195 Radek Apr.19, 1960 2,934,181 Weber Apr. 26, 1960 2,940,605 Logie June 14, 1960

